Chapter 469: Chapter 469
Mai Qiqi felt a sense of disturbance and suddenly stood up with a swoosh, turned into the kitchen, and grabbed a plate. She piled it high with a generous helping of each dish.
"You two have to finish this plate of food, and if you can’t, it’ll have to be thrown away. You understand the effort it takes to grow each grain, right?" Mai Qiqi said sternly as she placed the plate in front of Xiao Huaili and his sister.
"I understand." Xiao Huaili said blankly; he had learned the phrase "each grain is the result of hard work" when he was in the first grade. After a moment, his eyes reddened, and he murmured, "Thank you... Aunt."
"Come on, men don’t cry all the time. Eat your food. Your sister is counting on you to provide for her," Mai Qiqi reiterated.
"Mhm, I got it." Xiao Huaili nodded vigorously, finally picking up a piece of meat with his chopsticks.
Mai Qiqi was much more at ease. She looked up and asked Wan Chu’er, "How’s your situation going?"
"The results will be announced tomorrow. There’s no suspense."
Mai Qiqi briefly mentioned that she was going to visit the village tomorrow to survey villagers and register the children for school. Wan Chu’er raised an eyebrow – she’d found something to do so quickly.
"Make sure to rest well today, and don’t faint again tomorrow. Take some Huoxiang Zhengqi water with you when you leave tomorrow. If you feel uncomfortable, just drink a bottle," Wan Chu’er advised.
After dinner, Mai Qiqi drove Xiao Huaili and his sister back to Huangjia Gully. When she returned, she said to Wan Chu’er, "What do you think about me sponsoring Xiao Huai’s education?"
Wan Chu’er smiled, "That would be great. I support you in doing anything you wish."
Giving roses leaves a fragrance in the hand. For Mai Qiqi now, helping others is a good deed, helping to soothe the restlessness in her heart.
Hearing Wan Chu’er’s words, Mai Qiqi’s face lit up with a smile, "I’m going to rest." Then she headed to her room.
The next day, Mai Qiqi got up early to prepare. She wore long pants and short sleeves appropriate for moving around, held a lightweight notebook to record student information, a sun umbrella, and Huoxiang Zhengqi water to prevent heatstroke from happening again.
Wan Chu’er looked at her, happy that she was interested in this task, and gave her the car keys, "Do a good job, and share the experience with me when you come back tonight."
After Mai Qiqi left, the military compound sent out a notice for all family members to attend a meeting at the auditorium.
Suddenly, there was a stir in the family quarters. The courtyard became bustling, as people gathered in groups, waiting for each other, and whispering about the meeting’s agenda.
Wan Chu’er knew why the meeting was called. She locked her door with Legendary Mother and Little Hunter in tow and went downstairs.
As they, the mother and sons trio, appeared, some people glanced over, others whispered, and still, others greeted Wan Chu’er with a smile.
"Legendary Mother, have you had breakfast?" Wang Hongmei’s smile was forced, with a bit of schadenfreude in it.
No matter how lucky, no matter being married to Jiang Kechu, no matter how much he doted on her, she was still someone with indecent behavior, exposed by big-character posters, implicating Jiang Kechu as well.
Wang Hongmei really wanted to see a look of panic on Wan Chu’er’s face, but to her disappointment, she saw nothing of the sort, which was quite frustrating.
Wan Chu’er just smiled lightly and nodded, "Yes, I have." She looked unflappable, like nothing was amiss, which confused the onlooking crowd.
Yesterday, someone from the troop had talked to Wan Chu’er, and Jiang Kechu had also been spoken to as soon as he returned from training. How could this couple be so calm? Could they really handle it so well that this incident wouldn’t affect them at all?
Many people began to wonder if the content of that big-character poster was fake?
Wang Hongmei was not convinced and asked with a deliberate laugh: "Ever since I joined the army, besides having dinner together in the auditorium during the New Year, I’ve never attended such a grand meeting. Legendary Mother, what do you think is the reason for this meeting?"
This time, Wan Chu’er didn’t speak first, but instead looked at her with a half-smiling, half-serious gaze until Wang Hongmei started to feel uncomfortable.
"Legendary Mother, why are you staring at me like that? Is there something on my face?" She pretended to wipe her face while feeling a bit panicked inside. How could Wan Chu’er be so formidable?
Wan Chu’er chuckled, "When I was studying abroad in the United States, my mentor taught me a trick. If you want to know if someone is feeling guilty, just stare at them . Are you feeling guilty?"
Wang Hongmei: "...What do I have to be guilty about?" Why is this person so unorthodox in her ways!
Wan Chu’er laughed: "I’m just teasing you. Isn’t everything clear once the meeting starts? As the saying goes, haste makes waste. The wisdom passed down by our ancestors is truly profound."
Back and forth , Wang Hongmei suddenly felt a sense of pressure. This Wan Chu’er was really not easy to deal with. However,
in her eyes, the image of Wan Chu’er suddenly became aloof, making her dare not probe further. Gradually, Wang Hongmei fell behind, quietly drifting further away from Wan Chu’er.
Everyone was surprised by the information revealed by Wan Chu’er. Wan Chu’er had even studied abroad. Didn’t that mean her family was very wealthy, which allowed her to 200,000 to the school without batting an eye? Some people began to ponder deeply.
Little Zhuanqi and Little Hunter were not noisy and quietly held their mother’s hand, thinking their mother was very impressive.
As they were about to enter the auditorium, Zhang Yuhuan came over and asked, "Sister-in-law, do you need me to help watch the children?"
Wan Chu’er smiled and said, "They are both very good," politely declining.
Zhang Yuhuan hesitated and then asked in a low voice, "Sister-in-law, is everything alright with that matter? Lin Xiaozhi is not here either, otherwise she could also vouch for you."
Zhang Yuhuan and Lin Xiaozhi were the only family members selected to teach in Huangjia Gully. According to the big-character poster’s accusation of bribery, they were the most likely suspects. Zhang Yuhuan was present and naturally could testify, but Lin Xiaozhi was not.
Wan Chu’er knew what she was worried about and smiled, "Don’t worry." Everything that needed to be said had already been confessed during the conversation on that day, so whether Lin Xiaozhi was there or not didn’t matter. After saying this, she led her children into the auditorium.
The auditorium was surrounded by several cold-faced soldiers standing upright with guns on their chests, which made the whole atmosphere solemn. As everyone entered, they restrained the smiles on their faces and no longer spoke, quietly finding places to sit, yet all were thinking about how serious the problem could be with such a grand setup. Original content can be found at NoveIꜰire.net
Some people sneaked glances at Wan Chu’er, only to see her still acting as if nothing was wrong, which made them wonder if she was not worried at all.
Wan Chu’er initially wanted to sit in the middle with her children, but as soon as Hunter entered the auditorium, his eyes sparkled with excitement at the sight of the soldiers standing against the wall and the guns in their hands.
With no choice, Wan Chu’er followed his gaze and sat near the aisle.
Zhang Yuhuan wanted to sit next to Wan Chu’er, but the expressionless soldier next to her was too intimidating, so she moved further inside.
Wan Chu’er swept her gaze to the front and saw Dong Lili sitting upright, but her tightly clenched fists revealed her anxious heart.
As the family members settled down, the army’s officers marched in. All the officers who came in lived in the family compound.
Jiang Kechu entered, and with a quick glance, he saw his wife and children. He walked straight over, picked up Zhuanqi, sat down, and then placed her on his lap.
"Daddy," Zhuanqi softly murmured with joy.